Maroney: I laugh at my critics

The fifth-year running back believes he still as the ability to show the Patriots and the rest of the NFL why New England chose him in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of the University of Minnesota. And he wasn’t shy about it on Tuesday following practice in the Dana Farber Fieldhouse.

“I know I’m the stuff,” Maroney quipped. “I know how good I am.”

Asked if he still has a lot to prove to, Maroney admitted he hears the critics who say he needs to prove himself this season, starting by holding onto the ball.

“We’ve got a lot of critics out here, still. We have a lot of naysayers, a lot of doubters, ‘Well, this has to be Maroney’s best year or he’s got to come out here and show it.’ Yeah, I have a lot of critics out here, still, and I laugh at it and I just go out there and just work hard and go out there and prove to everybody why they took me first round.”

Earlier in the day, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said that Maroney has worked hard in the offseason and training camp and is ‘ready to go’ and prepared to put his four-fumble season from 2009 behind him.

Asked if he’s ready to play more on Thursday night against the Rams in preseason game No. 3, Maroney smiled and laughed, “I hope you ask Belichick if you have a request, like a request to see me a lot more. You put that in the papers a lot more, I’m pretty sure he can’t let the fans down.”